Chapter 154
“We don’t have cigarettes, and smoking is harmful to your health, Grandpa. You shouldn’t smoke!”
Faced with Tang Yu’an’s lecture, Grandpa Li simply smiled. He reached out to touch the brand-new gas stove, then glanced at the pots and pans.
“Did the Mysterious Merchant provide these too?” he asked.
“Yes, the upgrade yesterday added furniture exchange options,” Tang Yu’an explained without hesitation. He then pulled a lollipop from his pocket. “No cigarettes, but I’ve got candy.”
Grandpa Li paused, then accepted the candy and looked back at the stove. “I’m not much of a cook. This kind of thing is wasted on me…”
“No problem at all! You can use it anytime you feel like making something warm,” Tang Yu’an replied. “I’m planning to give Granny Guo a set too.”
Grandpa Li nodded. “Go ahead. She’s already had an earthen stove built, but now it looks like she won’t need it anymore.”
The previous day, a batch of bricks had been fired, prioritized for the three wood-element ability users who were vital for the settlement’s food production.
No one objected to this policy, and it even encouraged two previously hidden wood-element users to come forward.
In a small community like the Desolate City Settlement, they suddenly had five wood-element users, ensuring a steady food supply.
Even if each wood-element user could only grow two potato plants a day, the daily yield ranged from 200 to 300 potatoes, more than enough to feed 40 people.
The only concern was maintaining soil fertility, which required controlling the daily growth.
Speaking of this…
“Grandpa, we’ve found a solution for the soil fertility issue!” Tang Yu’an took out the two mutated Star-chain fruits and explained their properties to Grandpa Li.
Grandpa Li’s eyes lit up. “That’s excellent! Let’s plant them right away.”
“I’ll go ask Granny Guo and Kang Kang for advice on planting them first,” Tang Yu’an said.
“Good idea.”
Tang Yu’an then took out the firestones stored in the cookie box. “Grandpa, do you think these stones are useful?”
Feeling the heat emanating from the firestones, Grandpa Li looked surprised. “Stones from Flame Dragon Fortress?”
“Grandpa, have you been there?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
Grandpa Li nodded. “I visited once when I was young. Over there, the sky sometimes bursts into flames, and there are even rainfalls of fire. It’s incredibly hot and dry.”
A look of reminiscence crossed his face. “Compared to that area, the daytime heat here in Desolate City is manageable.”
Tang Yu’an was astonished.
For someone like him, who had lived in a pre-disaster world, wouldn’t a visit to Flame Dragon Fortress practically melt him alive?
“I heard that before the disaster, it was a bustling city,” Grandpa Li said with a sigh. “Under the leadership of ability users, people built fortresses to withstand disasters.”
“Originally, the area had abundant water, with two rivers flowing through it. But by the time I visited, those rivers were completely dried up.”
“Now, after so many years, it’s probably turned into a desert….”
In just a few decades, the world had transformed dramatically.
Grandpa Li sighed for a while before turning back to the firestones in his hands. “These stones are incredibly useful in cold conditions. They can be used just like coal.”
They were even safer than coal—smokeless, odorless, and with excellent heat retention.
“As far as I know, a stone like this can last for at least a month before it cools down,” Grandpa Li explained.
“That’s amazing!” Tang Yu’an said. “Let’s keep them here and see if any residents need them.”
Grandpa Li nodded, understanding his intentions. “How much do you plan to charge?”
“At a cost of 30 points per pound, it’s slightly more expensive than charcoal. Grandpa, you can decide on a fair price,” Tang Yu’an said. “We have more of these stones and won’t run out anytime soon.”
“Alright, I’ll handle it,” Grandpa Li agreed.
“We’ll go find Granny Guo now.”
“Go ahead.”
Before leaving, Tang Yu’an pulled out a freshly exchanged thermos bottle and handed it to Grandpa Li.
“This is too much… too much…”
Grandpa Li tried to decline, but Tang Yu’an pressed it into his hands. “Please take it. It’s getting cold, and you can have something warm to drink in the mornings to keep yourself cozy.”
Thanks to the glowing green double bed he slept on, Grandpa Li didn’t even need to get up at night.
With adequate sleep, enough food, and warm clothing, Grandpa Li was visibly healthier. His complexion was rosier, his voice stronger, and even his white hair seemed to have diminished.
Seeing this made Tang Yu’an very happy. In his heart, he already regarded Grandpa Li as family.
He cherished the warmth and care of being treated like a grandson and found joy in taking care of and giving back to Grandpa Li. This gave him a sense of belonging and happiness in this strange world.
Moreover, without Grandpa Li’s help, they wouldn’t have been able to manage the Desolate City Settlement so efficiently in such a short time. Handling so many residents and employees would have been an overwhelming task.
With Grandpa Li around, it felt like having a reliable anchor that kept everything steady.
“Grandpa, we’re off!”
Placing the thermos bottle on the stove, Tang Yu’an grabbed Zhou Qi and dashed out, giving Grandpa Li no chance to catch up.
Grandpa Li watched their cheerful backs disappear, then shook his head and turned his gaze back. He picked up the thermos bottle on the stove, gently stroking it with great affection.
“Meow—”
Black Pearl strolled in from the doorway. Grandpa Li smiled warmly at the cat, carefully putting the thermos bottle away before retrieving a pack of dried fish from the fridge.
Not long after, three puppies came bounding in from outside.
“Woof! Woof!”
Grandpa Li grabbed some milk, pouring it into a bowl in the corner, and watched as the little trio wagged their tails while lapping it up happily.
With the growing number of residents, the settlement increasingly relied on the pets for patrol and security. Over time, Black Pearl, Yuan Bao, and the others became quite familiar with Grandpa Li.
Now, whenever they wanted treats or milk, they would run straight to him, naturally accepting his bribes.
“Finish your treats, and then we’ll go patrol together.”
“Woof! Woof!”
*
Room 801
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi knocked on the door, but it wasn’t Granny Guo or Kang Kang who answered. Instead, a heavily pregnant woman stood in the doorway.
Tang Yu’an recognized her. Her name was Lin Lu, if he remembered correctly.
Because Granny Guo’s place had a warming glow cabinet, making the nights comfortable, Lin Lu had been assigned to stay here.
“You’re…”
Lin Lu hesitated briefly, her guarded expression softening into nervousness. “You must be the young owners of the Desolate City Settlement. Please, come in!”
“You can just call me An An.”
“And I’m Zhou Qi.”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi introduced themselves as they stepped inside. “Where’s Granny Guo and Kang Kang?”
Compared to their last visit, the room was now much more furnished, especially with potted plants.
The plants Tang Yu’an had asked Granny Guo to care for were thriving, with some already growing so well that she had transplanted them into new pots.
The bottom shelf of the green glow cabinet held coarse rice seeds, showing Granny Guo’s ongoing efforts to cultivate rice that could adapt to the current environment.
“Granny took Kang Kang to water the plants,” Lin Lu said, following behind them.
As a pregnant woman, Lin Lu had been given special accommodations by Grandpa Li, such as staying with Granny Guo and receiving two potatoes daily.
But she wasn’t idle. She helped Granny Guo with what she could, such as slicing potatoes to dry in the sun during good weather. As a water-element ability user, she also ensured an adequate supply of water for daily needs, sparing Granny Guo from carrying water up and down the stairs.
“Sister Lin Lu, are you settling in well? Let us know if you need anything,” Tang Yu’an said, his tone softer as he glanced at her rounded belly.
In a few months, the Desolate City Settlement would welcome two new lives. The thought filled Tang Yu’an with a sense of responsibility. He felt it was essential to improve Store No. 1 further and truly make it a home for everyone.
“Everything is wonderful,” Lin Lu replied, bowing her head slightly. “Thank you for bringing me here. I’m willing to do anything to stay. Please, don’t drive me away…”
For Lin Lu, life in the Desolate City Settlement felt like a dream.
She wasn’t as fragile as she looked—before her pregnancy, she had been a skilled hunter, capable of surviving in the Desolate City alone.
But pregnancy had weakened her body, and the man who had once cherished her became cold and resentful as her pregnancy progressed.
Before the flood, he had abandoned her without a word. After waiting in vain for a week, Lin Lu assumed he was dead.
Living alone in the Desolate City, Lin Lu struggled to survive. Her water-element ability allowed her to catch aquatic creatures for food, but lacking fuel, she often had to eat them raw. This worsened her pregnancy symptoms, making life unbearable.
She had considered ending her pregnancy countless times but couldn’t bring herself to do it.
At her lowest point, these two boys appeared and led her through the life-saving passage. Emerging from the darkness into this warm, utopian settlement felt like a miracle.
Here, she wasn’t treated as a burden but was cared for with love.
Her temporary residence was equipped with clean bedding and a warm atmosphere. Granny Guo treated her better than family, preparing hot water and cooked food while speaking to her gently.
In just a few days, Lin Lu had grown deeply attached to this place. She no longer wanted to leave.
For the first time, she felt truly happy.
As Lin Lu’s eyes welled with tears, Tang Yu’an grew flustered, waving his hands. “No, no, we’re not going to drive you away.”
“Just stay and rest well. Have your baby in peace and recover afterward,” Zhou Qi added. “We can talk about everything else later.”
Lin Lu’s anxiety faded, replaced by a sense of calm.
She had never heard anyone refer to her unborn child as “baby.” The word alone conveyed the boys’ care and importance for the child.
Though she didn’t fully understand, she saw it as an immense kindness.
“Thank you… thank you so much…”
Zhou Qi comforted Lin Lu with a few words before helping her to rest in the spare bedroom, while Tang Yu’an slipped quietly into the kitchen.
Before long, as Tang Yu’an emerged, Granny Guo and Kang Kang walked back inside from outside.
“Big brother!”
Kang Kang, with his short legs, happily ran up to Tang Yu’an, wrapping his little arms around his leg.
“Back already?” Tang Yu’an ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, I went to see Brighty and October!”
It seemed Kang Kang had just been watering the Lanhu sapling and the mutated lantern plant with Granny Guo.
After saying this, he pulled Tang Yu’an along to show him the qingliang fruit plant, which had been transplanted into a larger flowerpot.
With more earth-element users at Store No. 1, obtaining clay was much easier. Granny Guo had asked Grandpa Li to make various sizes of flowerpots, which were now being put to good use.
Granny Guo watched them with a kind smile.
“Zhou Qi, would you like some fruit?”
When she saw Zhou Qi coming out, she walked over to him and pulled two sweet fruits from her pocket, pressing them into his hands before he could refuse.
Although potatoes and coarse rice had greatly reduced their need for fruit, Granny Guo still maintained her habit. Every time Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi visited, she would always have fruit ready for them.
“Thank you, Granny.”
Zhou Qi knew that refusing her kindness would only upset the elderly woman, so he accepted them graciously. As expected, Granny Guo’s smile deepened.
“What brings you here so early today?” Granny Guo asked.
At this, Zhou Qi glanced toward the kitchen, and Tang Yu’an walked back over, carrying Kang Kang.
“Granny, come here quickly!”
Tang Yu’an pulled her into the kitchen.
Granny Guo stopped in her tracks when she saw the gas stove placed atop the earthen stove, alongside two gas cylinders.
“This… what is this?”
Tang Yu’an grinned. “Granny, do you recognize it?”
Granny Guo nodded and walked over to turn the stove’s knob. With a click, a blue flame sprang to life.
Startled, Kang Kang hid behind Tang Yu’an.
“Where did this stove come from? It looks so new!” Granny Guo exclaimed, turning off the flame. “How do I get one?”
This stove was far more convenient than the earthen one. If she could use a gas stove, she could boil water or cook meals at any time.
As for where it came from… she asked once but didn’t press further. Like Grandpa Li, she chose to remain blissfully ignorant. As long as it made life better for her and Kang Kang, nothing else mattered.
“All I want is those two sweet fruits!” Tang Yu’an said, taking the fruit from Zhou Qi’s hand. “We’ve already eaten so many of your fruits before.”
“Fruits aren’t worth anything!”
Granny Guo refused to take advantage of the deal, so Tang Yu’an pulled out two mutated Star-chain fruits instead.
“Then help me grow these fruits,” he said, handing her the fruits and explaining the plant’s characteristics.
Granny Guo listened intently, while Kang Kang tiptoed to take one fruit from her hands, holding it up curiously.
“Once they’re planted, the black soil they produce will be yours. We only want the fruits,” Tang Yu’an said. “Just the first batch for us; the rest can go to Grandpa Li. You can work out the best intercropping method with him.”
Granny Guo hesitated.
“Isn’t that a loss for you?”
She knew the value of black soil—it would allow her to grow more crops. Exchanging the fruits for black soil would be a bargain for any wood-element user.
“Ah, but we trust you the most, Granny,” Tang Yu’an said with a smile. “Please say yes.”
After much cajoling, Granny Guo finally agreed.
[You completed a loss-making transaction with a long-time customer. Experience +1.]
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to grow you a whole basket of fruits!” Granny Guo patted the boy’s hand, promising confidently.
With that, she and Kang Kang got to work planning the planting.
Seeing the two of them engrossed in their discussion, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi quietly left them alone. They placed the mid-grade spirit-gathering grass they had purchased yesterday into the green glow cabinet before heading to the Jufeng grocery store through the teleportation array.
*
As promised, Hong Li had sent workers to help rebuild the store. Soldiers were clearing away the burnt ruins when the two boys emerged from the basement, drawing curious glances.
The soldiers couldn’t hide their intrigue. No matter how hard they tried, they had never been able to enter that basement. All they ever saw was an impenetrable darkness that even fire couldn’t illuminate.
This kind of ability sparked endless fascination.
The two boys chose not to explain anything, and the soldiers dared not question them further. Following Hei Xiong’s instructions, they led them directly to the earth-element architect tasked with rebuilding the store.
This architect was a skilled earth-element ability user.
After discussing with him, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to construct a new three-story building, which would take approximately half a month. Once they finalized the details, the boys temporarily left the grocery store.
For their daily task, they needed to attract 17 new customers. However, due to the extensive transactions previously carried out by Xiao Cao and Shi Tou, the number of new customers in Jufeng Town had visibly dwindled.
They first visited the market but only managed to attract seven new customers before the morning market ended. Left with no choice, they followed the crowd and descended toward the base of the mountain.
There were more potential customers at the outposts below. They decided to head to the first outpost to meet their remaining target of 10 new customers.
To Tang Yu’an’s surprise, Mingzhu and her son, whom they had encountered earlier on the mountain trail, had moved to the first outpost.
Mingzhu had been assigned to the experimental fields opened by Hong Li. Before the boys even entered the outpost, they spotted her working diligently in the fields with her child.
Hong Li had heeded their suggestion and nationalized the experimental fields, employing the original volunteers to continue planting wild vegetables. The new policy had been the talk of the town, and Tang Yu’an could hear villagers discussing it along the way.
Initially skeptical of farming, the townsfolk now brimmed with regret, envy, and jealousy. With the garrison providing food and lodging, the benefits were hard to resist, even if farming was labor-intensive.
Thanks to the new policy, the Guard Post had intensified their patrols, deterring any attempts at sabotage. Many villagers eagerly awaited new recruitment opportunities, ready to seize the chance to work the fields.
Seeing Mingzhu hard at work, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi didn’t want to disturb her and were about to leave when she noticed them.
“Wait! Wait a moment!”
Mingzhu called out as she ran toward them. Recognizing the boys’ distinctive appearance, she immediately identified them.
Panting slightly, she finally reached them. “Do you remember me?”
“Sister Mingzhu, you and Xiao Bao moved up the mountain?” Tang Yu’an asked with a smile.
Mingzhu’s face lit up with a smile.
“Yes, thank you for saving Xiao Bao and me,” she said, recounting her experiences. When Hong Li announced the new farming policy, she was among the first to sign up.
Thanks to her success in growing mushrooms, she stood out among the initial volunteers and was relocated to the first outpost.
“I heard from the guards that this new policy for the experimental fields was your suggestion to the Mountain Lord.”
Mingzhu added, “I don’t know how to thank you. Do you still need mushrooms? I have some at home. I’ll bring them to you!”
She still remembered trading mushrooms with Tang Yu’an before.
Tang Yu’an shook his head, declining her offer. Seeing how well she had cultivated her plot, he couldn’t help but chat with her a bit longer.
“Are you still growing mushrooms?”
“Yes, the damp air and cooler temperatures lately have helped them grow quickly.”
Mingzhu had a good grasp of the conditions that favored mushroom growth. She tried to replicate such an environment in the fields and had succeeded.
Her mushrooms were almost ready for harvest when she was transferred to the outpost. Although she regretted not seeing the harvest herself, she felt no loss as she had been given this opportunity.
“Mushrooms thrive in humus-rich soil. You could try collecting fallen leaves,” Tang Yu’an suggested, sharing tips and techniques from books he had read, including the importance of controlled experiments to find optimal growth conditions.
Mingzhu listened intently, making notes as best as she could since she couldn’t write.
“That’s about it,” Tang Yu’an concluded before bidding her farewell.
Mingzhu watched them leave, muttering the tips to herself. When her son came running over, she immediately repeated them for him to remember.
Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi entered the outpost to start finding customers.
With the Mountain Lord’s Emblem hanging around Tang Yu’an’s neck and their clean, striking appearance, even local ruffians dared not mess with them. They had become minor celebrities in Jufeng Mountain.
After the grocery store burned down, Hong Li had publicly declared that anyone harming the boys would be her enemy. As a result, even the roughest individuals avoided them, which ironically made it harder for the boys to find new customers.
However, once they brought out some salt, attitudes shifted.
After successfully attracting 10 new customers and completing their daily task, the two boys decided to stop.
New customers were a finite resource, and they needed to save some for future daily tasks. They couldn’t afford to deplete their pool as they had before.
“Should we head back now?” Zhou Qi asked.
They hadn’t attended their lessons yet, so returning now would be just the right time.
Tang Yu’an nodded, but as he glanced at the map, he suddenly stopped and said, “There’s a dangerous creature heading toward the outpost!”
Since the flooding began, dozens of red dots representing dangerous entities had appeared on Jufeng Mountain.
Most of these red dots lingered in the forest, while a smaller number wandered near the outposts. Although the guards had been working hard to eliminate these mutated creatures, they hadn’t been able to stop the increasing number of creatures entering the area.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi quickly moved to a hidden spot to activate the Shadow Umbrella, cloaking themselves from sight. Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu’an on his back, and together they ran toward the red dot approaching the outpost.
